Former hostages celebrate Israel’s targeting of Hamas leader who held them captive

Former hostages Liri Albag and Emily Damari celebrate Israel’s targeting of Hamas’s Gaza leader Izz al-Din Haddad who held them captive in Gaza.

Albag tells Channel 12 that Haddad was responsible for her kidnapping along with several other female IDF soldiers stationed at the Nachal Oz military base along the Gaza border.

She says she had extensive contact with Haddad during her captivity because he was one of the few Hamas operatives holding her who knew Hebrew.

Albag confirms that Defense Minister Israel Katz called to inform her of the IDF strike targeting Haddad this evening.

She thanks Israel’s security forces and says every Hamas terrorist should know that retribution will come eventually.

Emily Damari, who was also held with Albag, celebrates the news in an Instagram post in which she thanks troops and describes the moment as the “closing of a chapter.”